


Reversed

by royalydamned



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, annoyed allies to allies to friends to lovers, at least I hope, in this fic we say fuck canon kids, kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25731850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalydamned/pseuds/royalydamned
Summary: Daryn encountered the Swedes before, unfortunately, and didn't expect to see any of them again.Axel lost his brothers and wants to make it right, so he turns to one of his past victims for help.ON HIATUS
Relationships: Axel & Oscar & Otto (Umbrella Academy), Axel (Umbrella Academy)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 99





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love these guys to much so here. I abandoned editing of 4 WIPs for this and I hate myself, but I hope it's worth it.

Something felt wrong. It was an unsettling feeling surrounding her since the morning, yet nothing happened. Maybe it was false, only a masked disgust from the old smell of her apartment and mold climbing the walls, but it kept following her the whole day, like a shadow, as she was coming back home through a hallway that was slowly coming apart, the wooden floor squeaking loudly under her each step, like loud screams, as if she was stepping on living things, trying to crawl away.  
Balancing a thin paper bag in one arm, praying that nothing falls from how full it was, she fished out keys from her pocket only to find the rusty lock easily broken and the wood damaged at the rough treatment. 

There were many people hunting her down, searching for her. Teams and individuals alike, but nobody had found her for months, nobody knew where she went as she stopped using her powers, completely dissappearing off the radar, hiding everywhere like a rat, finding safe place in any small hole or a crack. Month full of hiding, restrictions and utter lack of anything apart from the necessities, living like an outlaw, a criminal even with her record clean. Running away like a hunted animal, dodging bullets flying by her head, threatening to end her life any second.  
She sighed, carefully placing the heavy bag on the squeaky floor, bracing herself for a fight, another months of fear and clueless searching for a safe space. Days filled with uncertainty and anxiety, cold sensations swimming through her mind. 

"God give me strength," she gritted through her teeth, pushing the door open as quietly as possible, shiver falling down her back at the soft creak of the old metal hinges, stepping inside as easy as a wild animal coming closer to a human. 

The apartment was dark, barely any sun coming through the few dirty windows, the small space suspiciously quiet and empty unlike any other time she came home, the air filled with strong scent of a strangely familiar intruder. She must have encountered them before, running for her life, being chased by different groups jumping through space and time like science had been wrong the whole time but nobody bothered to correct it. The smell lingered in her nose even when she couldn't place it, making her wonder and guess quietly, as she was going through the list of people that already tried to kill her in her head. Various faces flashing before her eyes, heart beating wildly at the memories crashing down at her after she started to gradually forget them.  
With a few light steps, she came further inside, noticing a silhouette sitting on the couch, almost comfortably, forming in the dim light coming through the stained glass right by. She couldn't see the stranger's face, but his posture seemed confident, relaxed. Mystery radiating from his persona. 

"Hej Daryn," he said in a deep voice, quietly yet firmly enough to almost make her trip and reached next to him, lighting up the dusty lamp, clearly unused for ages. A warm light filled the small room, illuminating his face finally letting her see him clearly as a day, triggering panick deep in her mind by the simple action. 

"It's you," she gasped taking a few small steps backwards in fear. Her whole consciousness screamed in alarm, searching for a weapon in her mind, figuring out how to escape when it comes to the worst. Figuring out the fastest way out, out of possible slaughter. "You came to finish what you started?" Daryn asked in small voice, hoping it's just a bad dream, and swallowed thickly as she tried to mask her fear as well as she could. 

He stood up, startling the woman in front of him enough to make her hiss threateningly, like a cat caged in a corner with no chance of escape, the brave facade crumbling at the shock of his sudden movement. She shouldn't have been scared, she shouldn't have let him see she was utterly terrified, how wildly her heart was beating, enough to make her chest hurt, but she did, she couldn't help it. 

"I need help," he replied quietly, thick accent marking the few words he spoke and threw an envelope to her feet. It slid through the dust and dirt covering the wooden planks, leaving a trail behind. She picked it up, confused and cautious, expecting everything but what was actually inside, widening her eyes at the stack of slightly crumbled money packed neatly in the paper wrapping. 

"What kind of trick is this?" She asked, trying to understand the situation she so unfortunately found herself in.

"No trick." Daryn scoffed not believing his words, and threw the money back at him. It hit him in the chest, but he didn't even blink. 

"Fuck money! I want everybody to stop chasing me like a runaway pet rabbit, not money!" He almost laughed at the outburst, as she tried to seem intimidating with last spark of bravery lit in her, while her hands were visibly shaking. 

"Favor," the man mumbled like it was obvious, just something she forgot about and he was reminding her. 

"What? What favor?"

At that he stepped even closer, the soft light pointing out the troubled features to her sight, seeming almost sad, with strange gimmer in his eyes.  
There was no sign that he carried a weapon. His coat thrown over the couch now far away from both of them, almost like he was there home with her, posture strangely relaxed looking like he didn't care what happens to him anymore. So resigned, showing he really meant no harm, expression hiding the secret intentions of his sudden visit, hands falling loose by his sides. "I let you go, I helped. Now you help."

"You let me go because I saved your stupid life I think that means there are no favors left between us," she spat, crossing her arms on her chest almost defensively, trying to protect herself, as inconspicuous as possible in that moment. Suddenly becoming aware of a scar pulling the skin of her shoulderblades, a sudden memory triggering uncomfortable tingling in the area. 

It almost looked like he smirked at the nervous action, maybe she just imagined it. "I said we killed you."

"You lied, so they stopped chasing me?" He nodded silently. "Why?"

"Doesn't matter." He replied, waving his hand dismissmissively, like he tried to avoid answering. Like he was embarrassed by that single action of mercy. 

"I wondered why they never went after me, they always found me, no matter how good I hid myself you-" The whole time she could've lived normally, for some unknown reason, he spared her, let her go, deceived his superiors and she wouldn't be at peace until she knew why. Suddenly she needed to know. "Thank you." 

However Daryn never got an answer for her gratitude, he just kept staring at her expectantly, silently demanding her agreement, the intense blue gaze almost making her squirm under its strength. "Alright, alright, what do you need? I'll try my best, but just this once."

"My brothers. They are dead," he informed her plainly, trying to mask the pain and grief, push it away by clenching his fist so tightly it turned white. 

"Oh, uhm..." she said, caught off guard, thinking about the best way to reply to that statement and not anger him or provoke him into something she'd surely regret. "I'm sorry." 

"Save them." 

"What?"

"Save. Them." Both words carried so much meaning. Secret emotions and inner guilt battling with his sense and reason, the war inside him so well concealed if it wasn't for his pained gaze. 

"You can't be serious," she laughed in disbelief. Finding her way around the commission to give some people a completely new start or let them see the truth about certain events was harmless. It was a few people, not changing anything but starting timelines of their own, students and historians just too curious and passionate to only believe the books, but this was too dangerous, every information she knew about time travel was screaming inside of her mind in refusal, knowing better than to do such thing. "You guys were hired to get rid of people screwing up the timeline, you more than anyone should know the consequences and danger when it comes to events like this. Do you have any idea, what could happen?" 

"I don't care. They are dead because of them. Help me save them." 

"If I do this, we're going to be hunted down, everybody will know that I am alive. Why should I risk my life for people who tried to kill me?" she glared at him, eyes sharp as daggers digging into him, the animal inside her begging for a fight, a fight it hadn't tasted for a long time because she was holding it back, chaining it deep inside because that wasn't who she was. 

"Because we didn't." 

"Well how chivalrous of you, but I won't help with this." She wanted to storm away, turn around and leave, let him stand there or find someone else, but before she could move he gripped her wrist, tightly and firmly she yelped in pain and shock, and pulled her closer pressing their bodies together uncomfortably.

"You promised," he said in a raised voice right next to her face, towering over her body almost threateningly, hiding her whole form in his shadow. Daryn felt the hair on her neck stand in alarm, instincts of predator ready take action, defend her and take down the man who was now so unbelievably close his scent almost burned in her sensitive nose. 

"I didn't promise anything!" She tried to squirm away, break free from the iron grip on her arm, but every step she took, he followed, eyes fixated on hers, as stern and determined as a man his position could be, holding her against his body in captivity. "Look I'm sorry but I can't, you should know this better that anyone. We just can't play with time." Her voice lowered to a whisper, less scared and more apologetic with every passing moment, with every second she had to look at him and see only a person missing his family, nothing else. 

"Wouldn't you do the same if it was you?" Her lips tightened into a thin line at the sudden question, reevaluating the long spoken words carefully. "For your own family." Daryn hesitated. She wanted to say no, she knew that was the sensible thing to do, the right choice with which she could remain safe, but only a single look at the subtle plead swimming in the deep blue waters of his eyes made her feel like her heart could crack. She could refuse an assassin, a killer, but she couldn't say no to a man hoping to give his family a second chance. 

"Alright, but if I die I swear I will kill you." A small smile appeared on his face, almost unrecognizable to a person who wasn't pinned against his chest, near enough to his face to see any subtle movement he couldn't disguise. "Also, you can let go of me now."


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Axel dislikes bad food and really likes teasing.

Daryn could have been more careful, think twice before letting the blonde man stay in her apartment. Not the situation she found herself in weakening her logical thinking, having the stranger sitting quietly on the kitchen counter as he watched her prepare a meal, coldly staring at the fast movement of her hands.   
It's fine, she kept telling herself, trying her best to ignore how his eyes burned on her body. She was very aware of how he was watching her, thinking about something she couldn't make out of his expression, which only made her more nervous. He needed help, he could have killed her already if that's what he was there for, but she still couldn't shake of the feeling of self-preservation screaming in her brain not to let her guard down. So far he didn't do anything for her to trust him. 

"Where will you be staying? I'll come over when it's all ready for the travel," she spoke into the silence, trying to think about anything else than the threat the man sitting calmly in front of her represented. Her eyes traveled everywhere but his face, still nervous and flustered from they latest close encounter, a little too intimate for people who barely knew each other. He lifted his gaze to look at her, observing the quick cooperation of her fingers and sharp blade of a knife she was gripping tightly, chopping sounds filling the silence between them after her question. 

"Here," he answered simply, making her stop mid action and glare in shock, startling her enough to lose words for a moment. 

"You're joking," she breathed out after a while, astonished by his straightforwardness and utter lack of shame in his words. 

"I am not waiting for you. We need to work together, that is why I am here." He said calmly, almost making Daryn's blood boil. 

"You're not staying at my place! I agreed to help you and we're suddenly what? Best friends? Where would you even sleep?" 

"Sofa," the blonde answered simply, sparing a single quick glance at the small couch not too far away, where he was waiting for her to come home. The couch was old and smelled like it had been there for a few decades without cleaning, not long enough even for Daryn when she wanted to take a nap. She couldn't imagine how he wanted to sleep there and if he was aware of the discomfort he'd put himself in, being much taller than her. 

"Unbelievable," Daryn breathed out of her nose, already regretting ever agreeing to this and resumed chopping the garlic in front of her. "I'm sorry but I won't share this already tiny apartment. How long would that even take? You'd be taking up my hot water, the space, my food. No, not happening." 

"The sooner we save Oscar and Otto, the sooner you live alone in this stolen house." 

"It's not stolen! We traded. That girl is living her 18th century romance fantasy and I get to have a roof over my head. It's business." She defended herself, think about the girl with big dreams amd romantic heart who felt too miserable in her own time, looking for love, searching for something more meaningful than simple attraction, something deeper. True love, understanding, feelings much more complicated and stronger than desire. Something Daryn now only saw in movies, romance dead, buried and rarely ever found. 

"Hm." Was the only thing he said to that, most definitely not listening to what she said about occupying her couch. 

"Well since it seems like I have no say in this, can I at least have your name?" Somehow she already hated the stoic face he seemed to have all the time, annoying her not to see him as vulnerable as he was while pinning her to his chest, from different angle, distance, like that was the only thing opening him up.

"Axel," he said plainly, and then pointed at her, as if she had forgotten her own name. "Daryn." 

"Yes I noticed you know much more about me than I do about you," she snapped back at him, but didn't tear her eyes from the cutting board, angry at herself for being so easy to tease and irritate. "Will you be eating too?" she sighted defeated, accepting Axel's presence rather quickly as she saw there was no use trying to make him leave, and tried to calm down her nerves. 

He eyed the sauce, deliciously boiling in a small pot right where he was sitting. "Hm," he hummed in agreement, not adding anything else, and Daryn could only guess if it was in agreemen, since he couldn't give her a clear answer. 

"You don't speak much, huh?" Axel didn't reply, only stared into the darkness at the other side of the room, which pretty much answered her question. She didn't exactly want to talk with him, they didn't need to be close, they didn't need to talk at all, but the silence they were in, with a few occasional words there and then, annoyed her in a comepletely different way. 

"Briefcase," he said after a while. Only one word like he only accidentally said the end of his thoughts out loud. 

"What?" She stopped chopping, looking at him confused, but he wasn't facing her, eyes still fixated into the dark of the apartment, apparently somewhere else in his mind. Thinking about the past and the future, the possibilities they had with the stolen device, probably about his bothers, in grief and growing hope as he was set on saving them no matter what. 

"How you make it work?" The man turned around, interested rather in shooting a weird look towards the chopped garlic in front of her, than her face. That shouldn't have made her offended, but it did, for couple of reasons. 

"Uh, well...uh..." Daryn strutted out slightly startled, not in the mood to answer these types of questions, especially while her dinner was in danger of being burned. "It's complicated." She knew the simple answer wouldn't tell him off, that it certainly wasn't enough, but she tried anyway. 

"How?" He slightly raised his voice, determined to get his answer. 

"Why do you need to know anyway? I will be the one doing it." 

"Curious," he he stated simply, watching her cook for a while and suddenly grabbed her wrist again, a little more gently than the other time, stopping her before she could put the garlic into the sizzling sauce. "Too much." 

"Too much? I'm sorry do you want to take it from me Gordon Ramsey?" she hissed, cheeks burning in great offence since he practically told her she didn't know how to cook. She didn't, Daryn knew that, but she could make food good enough for her fo eat. That was enough. Enough for her and she was the only person that really mattered in her life, the only one she had to look out for amd protect, too afaraid to ever think about the loneliness overcoming her at those kind of thoughts. 

"Who?" Axel tilted his head, the famous name not ringing any bells in his head. She wanted to be shocked at the lack of his knowledge, but as she thought about it more deeply, she would have been more surprised if he actually knew the man. 

"The famous chef?" Nothing. "Nevermind."  
He jumped off the kitchen counter, unsurprisingly swiftly and quietly, all his movements fast and quiet, and came next to her, startling her as he pushed his body against hers in the small space and took the knife and the board from her hands. "What the fuck are you doing?" she yelped as he pushed her aside with his body, creating more place for himself. 

"Taking it from you." The answer sounded unbothered yet a subtle mischief flashed in his eyes. Dsryn tried so hard to read him, understand him smd figure out eho he really was, but the man kept changing with every minute they spent together, transforming so slightly she wouldn't almost notice. "Where are spoons?" 

Without a word, she handed him a teaspoon and watched as he took a small sip of the sauce, his face twisting uncomfortably as he tasted it. She tried not to show the little sting of hurt at the reaction and watched him grab different ingredients, trying to correct the flavor. He seemed so experienced working around the meal, making the tiny kitchen smell a very different way, pleasant and mouthwatering, the hunger in Daryn's stomach growling like an angry cat. 

When she thought about it, it was truly hilarious, not even an hour ago that man, who once tried to kill her, broke into her house and demanded something dangerous and impossible and there they were, cooking dinner like they already knew each other. They did, but not as friendly as it seemed now, so strangely peaceful, something comepletely unheard of between two strangers with their history and fates. 

"Here." He offered her a spoonful of the souce, holding his hand under it in case something were to spill out. She licked it of the tip of the spoon, humming in delight before she could stop herself, the taste significantly improved by his surprising kitchen skills. "Good, I suppose." She tried to hide her satisfaction with great difficulty, refusing to let him know how much she enjoyed what he did with her food, but he knew, she saw he knew. 

"Yeah, well, whatever, so you can cook. I'm still not ok with you living here." Axel smirked, it seemed almost like a teasing smile, very well knowing she tried her best not to praise him for turning her dinner into something edible. Without a word, he handed her a plate with prepared dish, delicious smell hitting her nose instantly. She accepted, hunger much stronger than her pride and sat on the same spot he did a while ago, right next to where he was standing, their shoulders brushing almost unnoticeably. 

They ate in silence, only sounds of forks scratching the plates heard around them and Daryn felt strange. The quiet presence preferred over any questions, but something inside of her needed to know more about him, deep pit of curiosity begging to be filled by answers, but before she could make a sound, he spoke turning his head towards her slightly as he asked she hope she wouldn't have to reply. "You did not use your powers when you saw me, why?" 

Daryn took a deep breath, thinking how to wave that thing off. She hated talking about it with him, because she didn't know him, because he knew it wasn't that easy, he saw it. He watched as she tried to fight them, he looked at her as she was running away when he lowered his gun and let her escape. "Why did you let me go?" Axel wasn't the only one with unanswered question scratching his mind. They hid the biggest secrets in front of each other, somehow linked together. 

"I asked first." 

"Answer for an answer." She shot back, getting more and more confident by the time she spent with him, more sure of herself and braver. "Why do you want to know so badly?" 

"Something so incredible, hidden. I want to know why." 

"It's rather simple," she whispered. "Try thinking about the pain you went through when you were growing. Double it, triple it, put into into time span of few seconds and you have your answer." 

He turned his whole body towards her, bending down to have their eyes at the same level, without breaking the eye-contact they made nobody knew when. Intense enough to make Daryn almost lose her breath, the closeness he intimidated her with somehow worked, but she refused to back down, staring confidently back until he pulled away into his original position and hummed: "I like you." 

"That is one-sided," she replied in a low voice, the wilderness inside making her growl in the back of her throat. 

"Cold." 

"I'm never nice to people who tried to kill me," she shot back, putting the empty plate aside, stare sharp as a dagger now. 

"It was a job, not personal." She saw him smirk, as he looked into her eyes, seeing something she couldn't, but she felt it. 

"Well definetly not for you!" Daryn felt a tug inside of her, something she pushed away for very long time, an anger setting it free.   
It was like he was watching her, trying to push until she lost control, get a reaction he was expecting and set the beast in her free. "Good try," she whispered as she calmed down, getting hold of herself once again, calming the force hiding inside, ready to jump out at any moment now.

"I need your help, with powers. That is why I came."

"Well you'll have to either do it on your own, or accept that I go without the powers." Axel raised his eyebrows as of it was a challenge, but backed down, like he already get what he wanted. Like she did something she was unaware of, pleasing him with victory. 

"Make the briefcase work," he said grabbing the plate next to her and turned around to put it in the sink. "Oh, and gold makes your eyes look very dangerous." Bastard, he really did win this round.


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a few days longer so here's a little longer chapter. Enjoy and thanks for all the support. <3

They had two briefcases to work with, but no plan whatsoever. Daryn had no idea what exactly happened with Axel's brothers and didn't know how to advert it, as delicately as possible to avoid certain catastrophe, nor where to go in a case of emergency. She didn't know what was waiting for her and what to expect. He threw her into a deep water even though he knew she couldn't swim, and didn't seem like he wanted to wait any longer, willing to go head first into imminent danger.

"Your briefcase is completely drained, so it will be useless." she stated as she opened the case he used to travel to her place, no light coming out of the delicate technology, it's power gone, leaving only a unusable garbage. "We will have to keep recharging mine, or just risk our asses right at the beginning to get some more."

"Can't you make them both work?" he asked, gesturing towards the non-fuctional briefcase with a knife, which she didn't know where he got. 

"It has no power left, I can't just make it, that is much harder which I don't have the resources to do." She still didn't exactly know how it works at the Commission and the ways they used to make the machines, but changing them just enough to allow her not-so-smooth travel through time was enough. It used to be enough. "The most important is not to rush this, it's not very safe if you don't let it charge long enough. We might jump and lose some very important body parts."

"What does that mean?"

"In best case you come through bald, in worst....well, you end up shattered like a jigsaw puzzle." Yes, maybe her services weren't exactly without a risk, but most of her clients were willing to wait for their goal, Axel, on the other hand, looked like he was considering fighting without his arm just to jump as soon as possible. His dedication as inspiring as utterly stupid.

"How long will it take?" he asked, thinking about his other options, even though he didn't have any. Now he was an outlaw, hunted for betraying the Commission, for emptying handful of bullets into the Handler's body.

"Two days, maybe three." The man seemed like he wanted to protest, but remembered that there were no other ways, she was his best shot and maybe a few extra days of preparation would make them more likely to succeed. His patience about to get tested. "Meanwhile you can tell me what the plan is, maybe?"

"Save my brothers," he said coldly, not bothering her with any details of their travel. Too angry at himself, too guilty, too ashamed.

"Excuse me? You crawled to _me_ , begging for _my_ help. I think I deserve to know what happened so we can come up with enough plans to make it work. Time is a very fragile thing you can't just go there without anything. You might destroy the world, or-" she stopped mid sentence as he put a finger on her lips, silencing her like a child when it became too annoying. "Put that finger away of I'll bite it off," Daryn threatened through gritted teeth and he obliged, eyebrows raised in challenging manner, the look in his eyes pleading her to try it. Trying to tease another surprising reaction out of her.

"November 15th, 1963," he replied, not dropping his gaze from their silent war. She was right, they were a team, and she deserved to know. "We came to a town named Dallas, that's when it started."   
Daryn sat down, to hear the story, gesturing at the empty spot next to her, inviting him to talk in better comfort, more relaxed, but Axel stayed standing right where he was, folding his arms on his chest as he started talking, the deep accent making it harder to understand, yet more captivating. "They sent us pictures of six people, who were supposed to be a threat for time, but it took me too long to understand that their reasons were selfish." Hatred flashed in his eyes, anger started to burn him up as he was going back into those memories, each one of them clearly hurting more than any wound. Talking about it painful like a lemon pressed against a cut. "My brother Oscar was blown up, by a bomb they planted. That woman manipulated us to get revenge on the wrong person, to do her dirty work."

"What happened to your other brother?" Daryn asked quietly, compassion for the man squeezing her heart so tightly it might break, feeling the pain clear in his voice.

"I killed him," Axel almost growled in fury, squeezing his fists tightly as he tried to control the emotions boiling inside of him. "I grabbed him by his throat and choked him until he was dead."

"Why?" Daryn felt something in her throat as she looked at him, making it hard for her to swallow or speak, his words surprising her. He couldn't have just killed his brother, she refused to believe someone trying that hard was the reason of his death. That he was able to watch the soul slowly leave his body along with his breath.

"I don't know," he whispered, tears starting to glisten in his eyes, widening as if he was watching the scene in his mind, replaying it again and again just to torture himself, punish himself for what he had done, but he quickly snapped out of it when he realized she was still in the room with him, watching him in pity. Such a strange sight after all the dirty looks and angry glares she always sent his way, so foreign it almost didn't feel right to him. He wanted her to frown and scowl at him, to show the disgust he felt within himself, not the soft sympathy she carried in her eyes.

"We can do this." Daryn stood up, watching her voice to be soft and comforting as she cautiously approached the man, and carefully placed a hand on his arm, trying to soothe the intense emotions he was fighting. Trying to help him any way she could. "You've got me, right?"

Axel flinched slightly at the sudden touch, not expecting her actions, but her relaxed unnoticeably, scoffing her direction almost annoyed. "Powerless."

"Don't start with this. Now I want to help, for some strange reason I want to."

"Pity," he scowled at her. "Suddenly you want to help out of pity." He didn't want the pity. He wanted the anger, the despite, something he knew and got used to in the very short time they knew each to her. Something he knew he deserved now, out of everything.

"Isn't it a good enough reason?" she questioned, squeezing the bicep she didn't stop holding and smiled sweetly up at him. She wouldn't stop with the good intended consolation, not letting him feel the hatred towards himself burning deep down. "Many people hate being pitied, but it it wakes compassion in others and desire to do something about it. I won't ask anymore, if that's what you really want, but you do need to think of a plan because our success will be depending on details." Axel didn't say anything on that, maybe she had a point, maybe she was right about something, but he hated acknowledging it. Daryn knew none of this went like he planned, everything around was failing and the frustration got to him along with countless other emotions triggered by talking about his brothers' deaths, but they had a mission and they needed to finish it.

He wanted to smile at her, a little genuine twist of his lips to say "thank you" instead of his words. She might have hated him, and he did nothing to help with the negative feelings she held towards him, but he was glad he wasn't alone, that even without her powers he had someone to help him get his family back. That she was not willing to go through all that with him, just assuring him about the goodness he saw when he decided to spare his first victim.

"Daryn, I-" he started, words of gratefulness forming on his tongue as he tried his best to force them out, to promise he would protect her if it came to the worst, that she would walk away alive, but the sound of the door being kicked open stopped him. "Get down!" he shouted, and pushed her out of the way behind the table, turning it around, to thick wood shielding them from the bullets.

"Oh my god," Daryn whispered with her eyes squeezed shut, hugging her own body protectively, panick rising in her chest as the bullets flew all around her. "Not again, not again, not again-"

"Daryn," he called out to her, grabbing her shoulders, shaking her slightly to make her calm down enough to listen. "You need to take the briefcase and protect it."

"Okay," she breathed out, fear dancing in her eyes, as she crouched behind the table, voice slightly shaking, but dedication written clearly all over her face.

The shooting stopped for a moment and Axel took the chance to jump on one of the attackers, tackling him to the ground like a tiger, giving Daryn some time to grab the recharging briefcase nearby, before a figure stopped her. She was standing in front of a man, a dark blue blazer thrown over his shoulders, a black tie loosely hanging around his neck, a gun gripped firmly in his right hand. A similiar briefcase was thrown not too far away, meaning only one thing. The Commission had found her.  
The man smirked at her terrified stare and pointed a gun at her, cold merciless eyes of a killer looking right at her with something that made her shiver.

" _Rövhatt!_ " She heard Axel's voice in the background as he lifted the other man by the collar and threw him at the other one, making them fall uncomfortably over each other with difficulty to stand back up, giving her enough time to escape. "What are you looking at? Go!" he yelled at her, his hair already messy from the fight, loose light strands falling into his face, lip bleeding. He was panting slightly, knuckles bruised and bloody from punching the other man, the flesh on them torn, looking so disheveled, so dangerous, completely different from the one cooking pasta for her not too long ago. The man who was good at his job.

Daryn didn't have to hear it twice, she hugged the mechanism to her chest, tightly like it was a baby, and ran out of the apartment into the dusty old hallway, looking around where to go next, remembering when she was running from the man that now practically saved her life. How the tables had turned, the killer was suddenly her protecter, a partner even.  
Hesitatingly looking back, she saw the assassins stumble from her apartment, the small gun still in his hands, and fixated his eyes on her, glaring like lion eyeing it's prey, and ran towards her, quicker than she'd have guessed. She didn't know where she was going, only trying her best to escape or hide, trying to shake off the guy hot in her heels. Her breath was coming out quick and shallow as she was quickly nearing the stairscase, almost victory in her sight, a silent cheer erupting in her mind when she felt someone grab the back of her collar, yanking her roughly onto the ground making her drop the briefcase, sending it sliding across the floor away from their reach.   
She let out a pained moan and opened her eyes to see the man kneeling above her, clothes crumpled, shirt untucked from his pants matching the jacket, the gun pointing at her face.

"One. Last. Bullet," he panted, mouth hanging open as he was trying to get enough oxygen into his already tired lungs.

Daryn stared straight into the darkness of the gunpoint, a low dangerous growl escaping her throat, a lioness deep inside her waking up at the threath of death as she prepped herself on her elbows, the buried instincts ready for defence.   
He chuckled, mocking her actions, and pulled the trigger, instead of a loud shot, the gun only clicked helplessly, missing bullets. She smirked at his failed attempted, almost mockingly, jumping up with feline swiftness, knocking him onto the floor and quickly grabbed the briefcase, not waiting for him to get up, and started sprinting down the stairs, nimbly taking two of them at once, trying to be faster.   
A lot of thoughts were swarming in he mind, as he tried to lose the gunman on the staircase, helping herself with the loosened iron rail, moving as she supported herself on it for balance. It was all too similiar to her life not too long ago, running for her life and not knowing peace, the feeling of her lungs burning of exhaustion with every quick torturous inhale, the pain almost forgotten after such time. She didn't miss it, the constant threat and uncertainty, yet the thrill in her body, the adrenaline pumping in her veins felt so welcome, so good, unresistable, addicting.

"Son of a-" Daryn cursed as her legs tangled together as her mind was far ahead of her body, sending her flying down couple of stairs before a wall roughly stopped her. "So much for swift as a cat," she groaned, rolling onto her side slowly and carefully, her sides slightly hurting from the fall, to see her chaser coming closer with every second.

A pair of glossy black shoes came into her sight, stopping in front of her, their perfect condition almost making Daryn roll her eyes. Then, a strong hand grabbed her by the neck, lifting her against the cold wall, painfully smashing her head against it, the grip tightening dangerously around her throat as she was picked up from the ground, feet just a few inches above the floor.

"I guess I will have to do it the old fashioned way," he whispered, nearing his face closer to hers.

"Old fashioned is stabbing, dickhead," she spat into his face, tiny drops of saliva landing on his skin as she was gasping for air. He backed away in disgust, wiping himself with the back of his other hand.

"Hm," he smirked cockily, squeezing tighter. "They love to talk about you as something phenomenal. Strong. Like a lion, wolf, or even a bear, but to me, you're nothing but a weak, annoying little bug I would crush with my bare hands."

Daryn desperately kicked her legs in the air, trying to get away, her vision blurring as she felt the blood hoarding in her head from the lack of oxygen. She squirmed like a fish taken out of the water, trying to save herself, helplessly gripping the attacker's wrists, trying to pry his hands away. She felt like she was passing out, everything around her slowly darkening into blackness, sounds becoming more quiet, senses numbed, consciousness fading away like she was in a water, floating away, when suddenly the grip disappeared. Daryn fell onto her knees, ignoring the sharp pain shooting up her legs at the contact as she started gasping for breath, lungs burning in strangely pleasant way as they were being finally filled. Her fingers dug into the scratchy dirty carpet she was lying on, everything around her unreal, all sounds distant as she was trying to stand back up. _I already hate this_ , she thought, carefully as she raised to her knees, looking around to see Axel now punching her attacker with so much strength like he wasn't tired at all, the grunts of their fight slowly reaching her ears, and she raised onto her feet, legs a little wobbly, comepletely weakened.

The movement caught Axel's attention, making him turn around for a split second, the little distraction enough to make the gunman kick him down another flight of stairs, converting his attention back on Daryn. The man grinned dangerously, making his way towards her.

She didn't fight. She didn't know exactly how, before only depending on her speed and powers, only fleeing from one place to another, but now, facing the maniac in front of her, she had no idea what she was going to do. How to defend herself. Hesitantly, she curled her fingers into a tight fists, awkwardly putting them in front of her face in unexperienced fighting stance, trying to look as threateningly as possible.

"Oh, yes, come dance," the assassin laughed, swinging his arm in her direction, missing her by inches as she dodged the sudden attack. He tried again, fist flying above her head as she crouched, running away and buying enough time for the Swede lying just next to them to stand back up. "Are you afraid of getting hit?" he teased, trying to punch her gain, entirely missing her face as she swiftly jumped backwards.

"No, I just really don't want you to touch me again in any way," she shot back, throwing herself against the rocking rail, to avoid another fist. Daryn was surprised at her own courage, seeming brave and cocky despite being terrified for her own life, internally screaming in horror the whole time.   
The iron squeaked loudly, making her lose balance from the fear of the old metal falling off, yelping in shock as the man caught her by her t-shirt, pushing her into the rail until she was afraid of falling over. In panick she gripped his shoulder, desperate to keep balance and avoid the fall.

"Let's see if cats really do land on all four."

"Fuck you," she hissed, her voice still shivering as she tried to grab onto anything to prevent her from falling onto the cold stone floor far below them.

Suddenly, the man gasped in shock and loosened the hold on her, almost making her fall backwards. Daryn noticed a red spot growing on his chest, blood soaking the snow white shirt and dark blue blazer, the crimson liquid sticking the cloth to his body, dripping on the carpet. The man let go of her, stumbling backwards in surprise, touching the impaled place gently with his fingertips, staring at the wound, and turned sharply towards Axel panting behind him. "This is not the end," the man rasped out, a thin trickle of blood falling from his mouth as the blonde pushed him over the rail, but he managed to grab Daryn's shoulder, taking her down with him.

She only saw Axel reaching out, trying to catch her before she fell through the rail, flying through the air down like a injured bird, unable to keep itself up any longer, and hit the cold ground which knocked the air out of her chest, making her numb for a few seconds as she was absently staring at the spot she fell from, trying to figure out if she was dead or just dying, her brain unable to focus on anything except for the pain seizing her whole form.   
Axel's slightly blurred face appeared in front of her, fingers pressing against her neck before she was gently picked up into his arms, the firm chest offering support for her spinning head, strong arms holding her close to the man's strangely comforting body, carrying her away to safety of her apartment.


	4. Part 4

Daryn woke up, every part of her body incredibly sore, intense headache pounding deep in her brain making her feel dizzy, whole world spinning fast enough for her to feel it. She remembered the two men that attacked them, the fight and the fall, how Axel's arms picked her up gently as if she was made of china, in danger of breaking by rough treatment, and he carried her back up into her apartment, placing her into the welcoming embrace of her bed.  
Carefully, she sat up, looking around the small dark room, trying steady herself and put her bare feet onto the cold floor. Axel must have taken her shoes off to get her more comfortable.   
Smiling softly to herself, she slowly made her way into the living room, her steps quiet and light without any hard sole making unwelcome sounds. He was sitting there on the couch, on which he was supposed to be sleeping, staring absently into the slowly recharging briefcase radiating with icy blue light. Night was already ruling outside, the sky dark blue like ink drying on a paper, yet no star visible anywhere, the lights of the city shining too brightly for stars to show, only moon was watching over them, alone in the darkness, guarding the secrets of the nightlife. 

"Are they-?" she asked into the silence as she remembered the assassins they had to fight only a few hours ago, the marks on her body still freshly reminding her of their treatment. She didn't finish the sentence, leaving a space for him to tell her what happened to them. To say if he handled them or if she was supposed to await them again in fear. He clearly understood what she meant, reading the real question off her face. 

"Dead," he nodded, but avoided looking at her, eyes still fixated on the shining machine. "I cleaned up the bodies, we are safe for now." Daryn breathed out in relief, hoping to enjoy at least a day without anyone else hunting them down again, most likely succeeding this time. 

"Right." The blue light illuminated his beaten face, the dried blood smeared all across his featured and the torn skin from the punches he had to endure, one of his cheekbones staring to swell, blue and sore from the hits he received. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully, making him finally look her direction, silent question gleaming in his eyes. They seemed like they were glowing in the lighting, color brighter and stronger than normal. 

"It's noting, I don't want to scare neighbours." He couldn't have been that humble, enough to play stupid to avoid the praise for his actions, enough to wave off everything he had done for her in the span of a few hours. 

"No, no, I meant for saving me and helping me."

"Of course," he said quietly and she carefully approached him, almost like she was scared he'd run away, and sat next to him on the couch. "Why didn't you fight?" The question surprised her, since it came out of nowhere, like a random thought accidentally said out loud, but he seemed like he stood by his words, hoping to satisfy his curiosity even if it meant making her uncomfortable. 

"I-I can't fight," she stuttered out in a defeated whisper, something similiar to surrender flashing in her eyes and she dropped them to watch her movements, rather than face him. Axel looked at her weirdly, refusing to believe those words. He saw her fight before, she had fought against him and he almost confused her technique with a professional if he didn't know who he was really after. "I always relied on running, or before even on my powers, the fight always came naturally, like it wasn't me having the control. You never fought me, you always fought something much more capable, willing to kill to stay alive." He noticed her twist her face in disgust at the last sentence, venom dripping from her words as she said it. 

"I can help then," he said quietly, the silent offer warming her heart like a small homely fire cracking in the fireplace during Christmas, and she smiled at the bid, warm fuzzy feeling spreading through her. 

"Thank you." Her eyes got caught by the dried blood staining his face, yet barely visible in the weak light. "You're hurt," she stated reaching out to touch the cracked skin, to feel the damage with her own fingers, to try and make the pain go away, but mid movement she abruptly dropped her hand back to her side, cheeks burning in subtle embarrassment as she realized what she wanted to do, her body seeming to move completely on its own. 

"Yes, I fought." Daryn laughed shortly at that, shaking her head, and stood up from the couch disappearing from the room for a few minutes before she came back with a small aid kit gripped tightly in her hands. "That's not necessary," he shook his head when he saw her spilling alcohol on a bandaid to clean him up, but she grabbed his chin firmly, holding his face steady in place just so she could see every inch of his bruised face. 

"Don't move, you should have cleaned it yourself," she ordered, like she was disciplining a child that bruised their knee after their mom warned them not to, the pain as a lesson into the future, and pressed the cloth wet with alcohol onto his cracked brow. Axel wanted to make a sound of discomfort, as the liquid stang on his flesh, but pressed his lips tightly together to keep silent, resisting the urge to hiss at the unwelcome contact. "You know, there's no shame in showing pain." 

"Hm," he hummed in acknowledgment, not letting her know if he agreed with her or not.  
"How is your neck?" he asked, clearly trying to change the topic. 

He reached out towards her, slowly brushing away loose strands of her hair behind her shoulder to get a better look at the dark purple bruises marking her throat. She let out a small sound of confusion when she felt the almost unnoticeable touch of his fingerprints tickling her skin, his fingers carefully traced the bruises, trailing over the mark of the assassin's hands so lightly, as if she would break under more force. Maybe she would, but the sudden gentleness, in both his eyes just assured her, calmed her enough to lean into his touch without thinking.  
"Better," she whispered, hand frozen in place on his face as she now focused solely on his fingers, still caressing the sore spots on her neck. Just the concern in his eyes made her feel better, the guilt she saw flash through his eyes when she told him she couldn't fight and he put her in that position with him, numbed the pain. Maybe she finally found someone who could care about her. Just for a short while, just until he gets what he wants. It was enough. Knowing she had someone she now knew she could count on and who counted on her, only if it was for a few days, was enough. 

He let out another soft "hm" all his attention still on the dark handprints wrapped around her throat, on how he traced them, slowly and tenderly like it was butterfly wings flapping against her skin, pleasant shivers crawling up her spine when he went over particularly ticklish places. 

"I am sorry you took most of the damage," he mumbled, voice suddenly hoarse like he was the one that had been choked and lifted his gaze to finally meet her eyes, the intense sincerity almost shocked her. 

"It's fine I got used to it, honestly," she shrugged trying to laugh it off, somehow ease the guilt he carried around, like he was responsible for every person's injury or death. 

She wanted to put more distance between their faces, to give him space and clear her mind, break herself free from the hypnotic stare he always managed to have, making it impossible to look away. She wanted to move, but she couldn't.   
It was like he could tell her struggles, as if he was aware of the power he seemed to have and dropped his hand back to his side, leaning back a little to put some distance between them, but he never stopped watching her. Looking like he was studying her every movement, focused on her hands when she scrubbed the dried blood off of his face. Expression unreadable in the darkness.   
Daryn told herself to stop overthinking and focus on cleaning the slit eyebrow, the bruised cheekbone and swollen jaw, and presed the damp material on his skin, the alcohol burning her nose with its strong aroma. 

"You know, I can do it myself." He snapped her out of her intrusive thoughts almsot against her will, making her look into his eyes, practically glowing in the dim ice blue light. They caught her attention every time without a fail, turning her uneasy under its weight. 

"Yes, but I can do it more properly."   
He hummed again, watching the way her features tensed in concentration as she moved to clean his bloody bottom lip, gently tapping the sensitive pink skin, gradually making it almost unnoticeable, only a small crack near the corner of his mouth.   
"I never thought we'd get beaten up this early." 

Axel looked up at her in disbelief, eyebrows raised high on his forehead. "Really?" 

"No I'm lying, totally called it." A short silence followed as they stared at each other, replaying the answer in their heads over and over again, before bursting out with sudden quiet laughter, weirdly pleasant and comfortable in their situation. Light-hearted and soothing sound, so sudden and unexplainable yet it surrounded her heart with warmth. Seeing him laugh was a foreign sight, the way his smile showed his teeth, cheeks pushing the subtle wrinkles around his eyes together, the laughter still deep as his voice when he spoke to her. Somehow, it made Daryn happier than seeing him frown all the time or show no expression at all, the moment of joy and easiness suiting him much more than the pain he always beared. It was just few seconds of vulnerability that made her wonder how it would be to know the real person, hidden behind the mask he kept putting on. 

After a while, they calmed down, the laughter slowly dying down until it comepletely faded into silence once again, and he looked a little embarrassed by his unfamiliar reaction. She didn't understand, the rare moments when she saw his true self, able to show her what was on his mind with his facial features, made her want to help him, made her stop disliking him and want to get closer, why did it seem like every slightly too human emotion he let slip past his guard meant something wrong? 

"Daryn," he said, taking the bloody cloth from her fingers, putting it on the floor, not caring at all about the mess. 

"Yes?" 

"You should go sleep, it's late." 

"I just woke up," she smirked and stood, the abrupt action sending her down again, head spinning. Everything started to hurt again, her whole being protesting against every movement unlike before when it felt like she forgot anything hurt her at all. 

"That doesn't count as sleep," he said catching her to sat her back down. 

"Doesn't it?" she shot back with a grin, trying to ignore how dizzy she felt, like a reality just crashed into her, just waiting when Axel wouldn't be there to save her. 

"No." 

"Okay, I get it, you must be tired too." He shook his head when she stood up, more slowly than before, and clumsily made her way into the doorway of her room, accidentally knocking over things in her way. "Goodnight," she smiled at him over her shoulder as she caught him looking at her leaving, seeming deep in thoughts. 

"Goodnight," he said back quietly, little smirk tugging his lips, and placed a mug she knocked on the floor while passing by back on the table. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Daryn couldn't fall asleep, maybe the coma she had woken up from not too long ago did count as proper sleep after all, leaving her rested enough to stay awake, but not enough to give her strength. She was staring at the ceiling as she tried not to get the anxiety get to her, remembering how it felt to slowly loose her breath, knowing that life was leaving her body with every second spent in that tight grip. The idea of dying terrified her and knowing, that with this mission it was more than possible kept her uneasy like she was just a criminal waiting for her sure execution. Maybe Axel wouldn't let them kill her, maybe he respected her enough to still protect her life.   
There were moments when she regretted ever helping him, for being too soft, almost too kind for her own good as she put herself in mortal danger because of a sympathy she felt for a person, but the other times as she watched him suffer silently, as she saw him fighting, protecting her, when she witnessed the rare laugh from his mouth, she wanted nothing else than to help him ease the pain and find the peace he deserved. 

From the other room she heard quiet cries and screams, but couldn't understand the words. Curious and worried, she slipped barefooted on the cold floor, carefully approaching the tiny living room, eyes adjusting to the dark she spotted the squirming man on the couch almost instantly. He was talking in his sleep, words she couldn't make out, except for two names: Oscar and Otto. He was drenched in sweat, face twisted as if he was in physical pain, fingers digging into the hard old matresses beneath him, desperately looking for support and relief. 

"Axel," she whispered, gently touching his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Axel," she called out again, now a little more loudly, shaking his shoulder firmly until his eyes shot open. He gasped sharply as he sat up, shaking and confused, looking all around himself, trying to figure out where he was, what was happening to him.   
"Hey hey hey, hey, It's alright, it's fine," she tried to soothe him, holding him by his shoulders gently, preventing him from standing up, and firmly looked into his eyes, trying to calm him down with his own trick. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked, breathless, voice still rough and accent thicker than during the day. 

"I heard you screaming, I wanted to know if you're ok." 

"I'm fine," he sighed sitting down so she could sit next to him, and ran his hands through his hair almost in frustration. 

"Doesn't look fine to me." Axel didn't answer, just his his face inside of his hands, trying to calm down his breathing. Something moved inside her, again the sympathy squeezing her heart she felt when she saw him hurting, the need to help and make it better. "What were you dreaming about?" 

"Nothing," he lied. 

"I thought friends don't lie to each other." 

"We are friends?" She laughed sadly, squeezing his shoulder. It wasn't like she could choose, like she could pick anyone else, they were stuck together and they needed to have faith in the other to survive and succeed. 

"Well, we don't have any choice but be at least partners, don't you think?" 

"Are you really ready to trust me?" he asked, lifting his head so he could look into her eyes, awaiting an honest answer to fall from her lips, noticing every expression like he was analyzing if she really told him the truth. 

"Looks like I don't have a choice but," she smirked, trying to lighten the situation, brush off the intense stare, so strong it was piercing into her soul. Where did he even learn to look so intimidating? "Alright, you asked why I don't use my powers. If I tell you would it count as a heart-to-heart moment we so need to trust each other?"   
Axel stayed silent, making her decide about it on her own. She didn't want to tell him any more than she wanted to talk about it, but if telling the truth, sharing her own fear would make him feel better, if it would create connection strong enough for two people about to risk probably everything and more, make them real partners and allies, then she could sacrifice her own comfort and maybe, later, he would do the same.   
"Transformation is seen like a monstrous thing," Daryn began, uneasiness taking hold of her, the biggest insecurity he carried with herself spoken out loud for the first time. To a person she didn't know. To a person she just wanted to get closer to. "Those people are created to be monsters, dangerous and bloodthirsty killers like werewolves or vampires unable to control their instincts even when they are human and...and they are right. Because I'm scared that I will be the same, that I will lose the humanity and stay an animal even when I'm changed back, that there will be just part of me forever primal like I am when I transform," she swallowed thickly, the lump in her throat heavy and bothering. She wanted to back away but she already made up her mind. "Every time I turn into something I don't have complete control, the animal instincts almost take over and it feels like I am trapped in a car, the steering wheel stuck and I just see how it's driving fast speed forward, down the hill and I can't do almost anything to stop it. Why would I go through the pain of transformation, the agony when my bones change and muscles stretch and tear, when my whole body has to grow again into something different, if it is a nightmare to do so?" Daryn felt an unwelcome burning in her eyes, hot and burning burning tears already clouding her vision, something so very human, reminding her that it was all she really was now. "Sometimes I was scared I'd never turn back at all. That I would be unable to take the control to turn. I don't want to be a monster, I don't want to be an animal." 

"You are scared." 

She scoffed, wiping away the tears from her eyes almsot aggressively, their presence suddenly bothering her. "Of course I am scared! Wouldn't you be scared? Scared of losing control around the people you care about? Of hurting them? I haven't seen my family since I accidentally attacked my sister because I might have known them, but the wolf didn't! I've haven't had any friends in years because I was only running away from people trying to kill me over a power I don't even want! I hate everything about this." A loud sob escaped her mouth before she could stop it. "Is that want you wanted to hear?" 

"Every control is learnt," he said quietly, taking one of her hand in this. "You start easy, with small steps." Lifting her hand to the level of their eyes, so they could both see it clearly even in the darkness, he said calmly: "Show me." 

"I-I can't," Daryn stuttered out, trying to break her hand free, but he held it firmly, expectations clear in his firm look, refusing to let go until she tried, until she understood the range of her power she seemed she didn't know herself. 

"You can, just try." 

"No, no I literally can't. I can't change just my hand. It's either everything or nothing," Daryn cried of, hating herself for sharing with him, she could've chosen other story, yet she chose to answer his question, without having any answer of her own. She gave in too easily. 

"Try it," he demanded, not letting go of her hand. 

She didn't have anything to lose, but a lot to prove. Nodding hesitantly, hoping he would just leave her, so she could just show him it was impossible, prove himself wrong with his own eyes. She took a deep shaky breath, trying to calm down, closing her eyes, she exhaled deeply, focusing on the pain spreading through her fingers, as her bones changed, cracked and grew and she tried her best not to cry out in pain. The faster she tried to change, the more it hurt, muscles stretching along the new formed bones, skin growing thicker and rougher almost like leather. After a moment it all died down, pleasant tingling and warmth spreading through her hand She slowly opened her eyes, gasping in shock as she saw eagle claws instead of her hand. 

"So nothing is impossible," he said with a small smirk carefully taking the claws into his hands again, inspecting them closely. 

"I didn't know I could do this," she breathed out im surprise, mouth slightly opened, still trying to process her newfound ability, imagine the possibilities that came with the discovery, the things she could possibly do if she hadn't promised herself that she wouldn't. 

"My grandmother used to tell us that you never know your true potential. You discover it through yor life, always finding out new things you didn't know you could do. That it is not limited." Daryn doubted their grandmother ever included strange powers as a potential, but she understood the message behind his words, the encouragement to try it again, to explore the new ability even further and maybe find even more. 

"Your grandma seems like a wise woman." 

"You could say she was. What I meant is that you don't know the real limit of your powers and I'm sure that you can do much more." It seemed like she could, and it terrified her much more than it excited her, imagining the new ways she could lose control, lose herself, become exactly like the monsters they portrayed in the movies, only part human. 

"Maybe you're right," she admitted quietly. "Doesn't mean I want to." He opened his mouth, trying to say something in protest, even argue, try to persuade her to giving it a chance, but she cut him off. "Yes, yes it scares me, hell, it terrifies me. It scares me the same way opening up scares you. It scares like the dream you just had with your brothers scared you because we all fear something." His eyes widened almost unnoticeably when she mentioned the nightmare before he could hide his reaction, assuring her she guessed correctly what it was about. "We're not that different, you and I, since the both of us don't want to lose control, the only difference is that you are afraid of being vulnerable, while I'm scared of stopping." 

"You should sleep," he whispered after a while, trying to ignore everything she just had said, refusing to admit she was right, refusing to confirm her assumption in any way. "I can teach you how to fight tomorrow." 

Daryn laughed, seeing through his poor attempt to sweep all of it under the rug, deny the cries she heard from him as he was deep in the night terror, reliving his worst fear and regret again, reminding himself his failure and grief when he was supposed to be at peace. She let him keep it to himself, knowing he wasn't ready to truly open up like her yet, to really share what was bothering him. She wouldn't force him, because she was sure that once he would trust her enough to let her in and tell her the full true story. 

"Alright, I'll leave you then, I know you will think about my words now anyway." She didn't want to push him because she knew exactly how it was to be pushed forcefully into talking about something you didn't want to, yet after confessing the dark truth she carried with her abour her powers, she felt better, lighter, more free. Even after her new discovery, she didn't want to use them, still afaraid of what it might mean, but after Axel offered to help her with fighting, she was sure she would no longer have to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a little power reveal


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel needs Daryn's powers much more than he needs Daryn herself. She does everything to be collected, but it's hard to keep a whole wilderness calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ IMPORTANT UPDATING INFO
> 
> I'm SO sorry for delivering this after such a long time, school got me into the corner and I've been writing this during the nights with barely opened eyes, and even though I tried to edit it into something worth the wait, I failed, I'm sorry. I struggled with this chapter a lot.  
> We switched to online school now which means I will probably have more energy and writing any chance I get. I'm hoping to be releasing within maximum of 2 or 3 weeks, but I can't promise anything.  
> Anyway, whoever stayed long enough to see this chapter come to live, thank you so much for your patience, while you wait for Reversed, why not shorten the while with another amazing works? I will link other Swedes fanfiction and one-shot writers down in the notes at the end of the chapter. ^^

The next morning she felt better. The soreness seizing her whole body died down with proper rest, and even thought the pain came strongly with some sharp movement, it was better than the day before. She would have time to recover fully while they would be waiting for the briefcase to gain enough power and energy to safely transport them where they needed. Or rather, when. 

A pleasant smell got her out of the bed, floating in the air, pulling her from the warm covers into the small kitchen, where the blonde man was standing, his bare back facing her. Hot pan in his hands was hissing with heat, the muscles on his back flexing and relaxing with every movement as he stayed completely unaware of her presence. The sight was embarrassingly flustering, a half naked guy she barely knew, cooking on her stove, in her apartment, sleeping on her couch, just living with her in the weirdest way possible, making her unwillingly realize, that she didn't want to actually complain. She just stood still, as quietly as possible, observing him and the steam warming up his skin enough to make him glisten in sweat. The whole room was too hot, widows non-functional for longer than Daryn had been living there, keeping the temperature securely inside. 

Her thoughts were too distracting, if Axel wasn't so incredibly annoying and didn't have the history of hunting her down, she would say he was quite attractive, but that was stupid and Daryn had enough sense to realize it. 

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed suddenly, making him turn around in surprise. 

"Cooking?" he asked, right corner of his mouth pulled in a cocky smirk. 

Daryn scoffed and grabbed his shirt from the couch, throwing it into his face. He pulled it of his head, almost laughing at the glare she was sending his way. "Put some freaking clothes on."

"It's too hot in here." She could swear she heard a tone of complaint in his voice, and considered if he was really just being annoying or geniuely couldn't stand it, but since she could stay clothed, so could he. 

"Break the window for all I care this is still my house, so you wear clothes." She cursed herself as the thought of him possibly not listening, and catching him like that again as she watched him cover himself with the tight grey shirt that made just a little difference after she knew exactly what's under it. 

Daryn shouldn't have had thoughts like that, and she hated having them, trying not to linger her gaze on his body too much, but they were only thoughts. A primitive attraction. He was still annoying, still the same guy delighted to tease her, loving to see her snap, the few nice gestures shared between them won't change that. 

He hummed in amusement, harshly pulling her back to reality, two plates with scrambled eggs in his hands, one of his hands offering her a plate with raised eyebrow. 

"You made breakfast?" she asked confused, hastily taking the plate from him, like it was supposed to be just a joke. 

"Yes, I know you can't." Daryn let out an offended sound, but knew he was right, so bit her tongue from any sarcastic remark back to him. 

Instead, she just took the offended meal, grimacing as it burnt her hand, and fished out two forks out of half stuck drawer. The both of them seated themselves on a counter, sitting side-by-side, knees and elbows brushing together by accident, Daryn's legs hanging high above the ground. 

Tnhey ate in silence, only the sound of Daryn's heels hitting the wooden cupboards unrhythmically interrupting the quiet atmosphere. Conversation was unnecessary between these little shared moments they had, still being strangers connected by a not-so-common goal. 

However, the thought of him going the extra mile warmed her chest. The thought of him deciding to make food for her forced a smile into her face, and she struggled not to show it. 

"I took their briefcase," Axel said suddenly, not looking up from the plate and broke up any kind of inner fight she had with herself. 

"What?" 

"The men that came to hunt us down. It's still in full power so now we can have one just in case." This was it, they could finally start what he came here for. It came as a surprise, almost as if she wasn't ready because she counted they'd have an extra day, but she was. To get rid of him, or help him, it didn't matter anyway. 

"So we can go? Like right now?" He nodded and took an empty plate from her hands, throwing it into a sink, already full with dirty dishes she was too lazy to clean up. 

"But not yet." 

"What, why?" 

"I told you. You don't want to use your powers, you refuse to use your powers, I will have teach you some tricks, so you can take care of yourself next time someone attacks us and not end up staining the floor like a bug someone stepped on." Daryn ignored the somewhat rude comment, because no matter how she hated to admit it, he was right. As she was now comepletely involved in the uncomfortably similiar situation once again, now without much of a chance of getting out, being able to fight for herself without waiting for Axel to save her ass everytime. Especially when he won't be there after all of this ends. 

"Alright, then show me how." 

They cleared out the room, creating more space for anything they were about to do. Pushing everything up against the wall, leaving an empty area for them to train on without being afaraid of bumping into something. Daryn atood there a little awkwardly, facing Axel's serious face, not sure how to stand or what to say, awkward feeling creeping through her whole body. 

"Show me your fist," he broke the silence, stepping closer into her comfort zone, watching her carefully with the intense look he always seemed to have without ever trying to. It almost looked intimidating if he didn't move around her so carefully, so relaxed. 

"Uh, what?" She asked confused, tilting her head a little without realizing it, looking almost like a clueless child. 

"Fist. Show me your fist, like you want to hit me." 

"Oh, okay," she said hesitantly, clenching her fingers together so tightly some parts turned white and lifted it to his eye level, showing off the result. 

"What are you doing? Do you want to break your thumb?" He took her hand into his, yanking her closer to him, the two of them almost crashing together, and pulled out her thumb from under her other fingers. She stumbled a little, losing balance for a moment before she caught herself against his chest, and looked up at his confused face as he pulled the finger from her grasp, never noticing how carefully she watched his face, studying his rather weary expression. "Have you ever actually punched someone?" he asked, catching her gaze with her own, pulling her back into reality as she realized she was staring.

"No, but I'm not too far from it now," she remarked, trying to hide the embarrassment rising into her face. 

Axel rolled his eyes, twisting her, now relaxed hand, and pulling it into her eye level. "You can't have your thumb hidden in your grip. You hit something with your fist, the force will break the bones in the finger. Try this," he said quietly, pressing his palm into the back of her hand, his fingers bigger than hers struggling to copy them, and pressed into them, making her hand curl nicely into a fist. "Thumb goes under the finger and you punch mainly with these two knuckles," his thumb trailed over the knuckles of her index and middle finger, before it pushed into hers and navigated it under her other fingers. It was strangely soothing, his rough skin surprisingly warm against hers, leading her through the simplest movement and showing her what to do. "It hurts, but the more you use them, the stronger they are and the pain dies down." 

She looked at her smaller fist, grasped in his hand and smirked, a little mischief sparkling in her eyes as her mind struggled to keep itself off of her hand almost completely hidden in his. "I suppose it hurts the other person much more." 

Axel released a small amused exhale, a small smile broke through his facade, pulling the corners of his lips into a subtle smirk, and let go of her hands, taking a step backwards. His arms were open, exposing his whole body, showing her he's defenceless. It made her want to tackle him to the ground, finally win over him in something. "Now hit he." 

"What? Why?" 

"Just do it." 

"Well, okay," she shrugged, devious smile creeping into her face, and swumg her arm with all her strenght at him without thinking, acting on rush and excitement, but he easily slapped it away, leaving her own upper body comepletely open for his attack and hit her with an open palm into the middle of her chest, making her stumble backwards. 

"You can't rely on strenght, it doesn't work." He took a few steps closer to her again, taking her hand into his, and shoot her a quick glance, silently telling her to form a fist again. "Being fast and accurate, is more important than being strong. When you hit, you hit with small parts of your body, where all the force is. The smaller the area, the stronger the punch seems." He lead her fist over his body, stopping at different places to show her where to strike. "Target weak spots, the ones that hurt them the most. Solar" He pressed her knuckles to his chest. "Throat" he lead her up, the Adam's apple pressing into her knuckles slightly through the thin skin. "And temples. You easily knock person out when you hit it, or kill him." 

"Great," she quipped, the heartbeat pumping dangerously under the layers of their skin on the weak spot. She could feel how fragile the place was, how easily damagable it was, a single move could take his breath away or kill. 

"When you attack, you don't only use arms," Axel started again, coming behind her. "Hold balance with your legs, have to move easily you stand like this." Daryn yelped in shock ss he kicked her legs widely apart, pushing one more into the front and grabbed her shoulders, to rotate her slightly to the side, his chest pressing against her back. Any attempt to ignore it felt useless, images from the morning appearing in her head again, shiftingher focus only at the warm body behind her. Everything physical--stupid primitive and primal--winning over anything else. A distraction so unwelcome, and yet so pleasant. "Bend knees a little, this is not gymnastic," he commanded and she obeyed without thinking, her actions quicker than her thoughts, hesitantly loosening the stance of her legs, arms falling uselessly by her sides. "Put your hands in front of your face, or you will get hit." Daryn lifted her hands, awkwardly hiding behind them as she watched his eyes scan her whole body, inspecting her closely and judging her mistakes. 

His expression looked pained as his gaze raised to see her upper body, clumsily twisted in her attempt of a fighting stance, but she looked dedicated. Without a word, he lowered her hands a little from her eyes, and grabbed her by the chin, pushing it closer to her chest, the tip of his thumb almost unnoticeably brushing against her bottom lip. "You might not want to get hit, but you do want to see. The dominant side is protected by the shoulder." He angled her right shoulder just enough to shield her chin and cheek. "Other one is protected by the hand." he pushed her left fist in front of the left side of her face.

"When you punch, you move in the stomach and hips, not arms." Axel grabbed her hips, turning around, like he was trying to prove what he was saying, his fingerprints digging into her skin, his grip tight and strong, moving her around as he desired, and she didn't even think about stopping him. "If you want to kick, best places are crotch, shins or under the ribs." Daryn almost didn't hear it, thinking about his hands still squeezing her hips, a flashes of him half naked standing in the kitchen with a pan popping into her mind, and she hated to like it. 

"Well that's it? I can fight now?" she changed the topic, swaying her hips in a little dance, jokingly, trying to lighten up the atmosphere in the room, but his fingers dig deeper into her hip as he gripped her body tightly, almost like he was trying to make her stop moving, and abruptly let go of her, coming back to face her. 

"Hit me," he ignored her question, and looked her questionable stance up and down one more time. 

"Again? Alright." Remembering everything he had said, she swung her arm at him, holding her other by her cheek as a protection. 

Axel dodged to the side and blocked her blow with his wrist, gripping her tightly and flicked her into the forehead, so easily like he was fighting a five year old. She knew how better it used to be, and wanted to use the advantage her powers bared, only a little, to help her fight him, to win and wipe the stoic smug expression of his face. However that was foolish, reckless, against everything she promised herself not to do. 

"Better, but I still think you would die." He let go of her. 

"Gee, thanks, why are you doing it then?" she asked, rubbing the sore spot on her face. She felt something inside her tickling, moving, begging to go into action and for a moment, for a fraction of a moment she considered letting it, because of temper, because of pride and ego, she wanted to feel strong again. 

She, however, never heard the answer, instead he launched forward, catching her completely off guard as she was deep in her moral dilemma. Daryn had no time to think of her next step, mind going completely as he just attacked her without a warning. She jumped backwards, bending her back to dodge his fist, restrains in her mind tearing and popping as a wave of warmth exploded through her, very familiar energy spreading into every inch of her body. When she straightened back up, angry growl bubbled in the back of her throat, the annoyed and provoked force delighted to have a fight. 

"Why did you do that?" The corner of his mouth twitched into an amused smirk as he watched her. Ready, excited, almost bloodthirsty as she eyed him like a toy now. And he did want to play. 

"To prove a point." Not leaving her a chance to properly get angry, he kicked her into her side. With a yelp she blocked it, making him almost lose balance, but he recovered quickly, smirking at her cockily as pair of yellow eyes stared at him dangerously, watching his movements. Axel couldn't help but enjoy it, the raw power and strength she held, buried, hidden away, showing through her weak moments. It was unexplainably thrilling. He needed her, but he also needed the thing she was scared of the most. 

"Why are you holding back now, let go, it will fight for you, you know it will." 

"I want to fight myself." 

"Well that's not really working out, is it? It's time to accept it as a part of yourself. Why are you scared of it, if it is a piece of who you are?" She bit her lip in response, clenching her fists tighter, unable to control herself. Whatever was in charge then was much stronger, much more dedicated and above all, angry. 

"What if I can't keep it under control?" Daryn asked, feeling the restrains slip away, adrenaline pumping in her veins. Maybe she didn't want to stop, and that terrified her. 

"You never know until you try." 

"What if I accidentally kill you?" He chuckled quietly, not sharing how welcome the thought seemed not too long ago. 

"You can try, but I beat you before." 

"Alright," she replied smirking as her eyes practically glowed at him in challenge, desire to win, to feel powerful again stronger than the fear, and she unwillingly gave in, the hidden part of her suddenly taking over for a while again, ready and daring. "But don't hold back so we can both be satisfied." Daryn didn't feel like herself anymore and at the same time, it was the most freeing feeling she ever felt. 

"Of course." It was something about the thrill she felt as he silently teased her to fight him, the desire to win, the competitiveness fueling her with a rush she couldn't ignore.

The stance he taught her long forgotten as the animal inside took over, crouching and ready. Daryn wanted to wait for him to attack first, but she couldn't wait that long, and swept her leg to his feet, trying to trip him, but he jumped almost as if he saw it coming.

Annoyed, she straightened up, swinging her leg to kick him into his side, but he blocked it with his forearm, returning the blow. She barely jumped aside, the foot brushing lightly against her shirt.

Excitement bubbled in her chest, a challenging growl left her mouth as her nails started digging into her palms painfully. She never noticed when she started clenching them so tight. "Who will win? An assassin or the force of nature?"

"Let's find out."

Daryn jumped, kicking him into the chest. Axel grunted at the forceful contact, falling roughly onto the ground with a thud as he lost balance. She wasted no time, kneeling over him with a delighted grin of victory, pinning his arms above his head, her heavy hot breath tickling the skin of his face, loose strands of hair brushing gently against him. 

"That was quick." He didn't answer unable to wait to wipe the smirk of her face, and rolled them over. She yelped in surprise as he switched their positions, holding her arm on each side on her head, his knee pinning her stomach firmly into the floor. Daryn squirmed, but couldn't move, but refused to give up their fight this easily. Axel loved how angry and frustrated she got with every second. Bending over he places his lips next to her ear, making her freeze, tmher whole body tensing as he whispered the silent words into her ear. 

"Every cat loves to play, doesn't it?"

"Thank god the game isn't over yet," she whispered back, smirking almost wickedly as she kicked herself up to hook her leg on his neck, throwing him of her body before quickly jumping up. 

The thrill of the spar pumped in her veins, all her restrains slowly loosening as she dodged his blows and jumped around, playfully grinning the whole time, trying to make out the mixed expression on his face. The unreadable look in his eyes, strange concentration as he watched her. She ignored it, the drive to win over him fuelling her strengthened stamina, her speed better than his, the swiftness with which she moved outdone the strength of his blows. Just like he said. Her arms moved without thinking now, aggressively trying to get to him, forgetting her surroundings almost completely, the primal fighting instincts taking over. 

A sharp hiss of pain pierced the air, making her stop abruptly and return to reality, finally seeing the scratches on Axel's shoulder and the blood slowly spilling from the three deep gashes. She gasped slightly, glancing quickly at her hands, the long claws grown instead of her own nails, dangerously sharp and uncontrollable, their presence unknown to her until it was too late. Nothing like that had ever happened before. The new secret revealed about her power now making her doubt everything. Making her lose understanding of what she was even more than before. 

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I--" she stuttered, the claws growing shorter until comepletely disappearing after the terrifying realization. She stepped back a few steps in fear, watching how the blonde pressed his palm against the fresh wound in attempt to stop the bleeding. 

"It's fine, it's just a scratch, I won't even know it's there in a few hours," he answered calmly, almost like he was trying to reassure her. She shook her head. 

"No, no this is why I don't do this, I-I hurt others, you shouldn't have risked it I can't control it, I can't--" 

"Daryn," he raised his voice, stopping the words of regret pouring from her mouth. "You will never learn to control it if you never use it." 

"You-" she pointed at him, frustration building up, the force inside broken out of its chains now harder to keep in cage, trying to break free. "You don't know what it's really like. You should be glad it was your shoulder, my sister wasn't so lucky! Don't play with something you know nothing about." He wasn't going to get burnt, he wasn't playing with fire, he was teasing a tiger, and it might get him his arm ripped off. 

"I'm going to get you patched up, just hope your lesson wasn't as useless as it seems now, just another excuse to push me until there's no more difference between me and the monster inside me."

He firmly grasped her elbow as she turned around to leave, the bleeding arm falling limp by his side. His fingers squeezed the flesh so tightly, so roughly as he stared into her eyes, like he was trying to drown her in the wild ocean of his gaze. "You are hiding something extraordinary, all you need to do is learn control. No monster, no curse. It's like a wild cat, hard to tame, but not impossible." 

"You're saying that just because it doesn't affect you, just because it comes handy on this little mission. I thought I could trust you, at least a little, just with this after what I told you at night. Maybe we are so different after all. One of us respects the other's fear, the other is trying to use it," she spat, snatching her hand from his grip and walked away, not even looking back at him as she headed into her room. 

"The first aid is on the counter, patch yourself up and get the guys' briefcase ready, we're leaving. You should be grateful I am still going after all of this." 

He nodded, guilt heavy in his stomach, but upsetting a girl in order to save his family was price he was willing to pay. He would do anything to bring them back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing works and authors you should definetly check out:
> 
> FREAK SHOW by loveells - Axel fanfic on Wattpad  
> https://my.w.tt/FZe0pHAuvab
> 
> UMBRELLA ACADEMY IMAGINES by Snapety364 - already has a few Swedes one-shots  
> https://my.w.tt/mOAMJQOuvab
> 
> SILENT LOVE by Avellanagamer100 - plus they already have some one shots up on the blog  
> http://avellanagamer100.tumblr.com
> 
> AFTERMATH by snippychicke - also already has bunch of one shots written as well  
> http://snippychicke.tumblr.com  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25943755/chapters/63062623
> 
> THE CHRONUS OPERATIVE by siriuspisces - Swedes fanfic, very fun.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25803853/chapters/62677759
> 
> JOSSAMBIRD'S ONE SHOTS  
> http://jossambird.tumblr.com
> 
> FANDOMMASTERMIND'S ONE SHOTS  
> http://fandommastermind.tumblr.com
> 
> SCARSWIDEWORLD'S ONE SHOTS  
> http://scarswideworld.tumblr.com


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